Are Google Play apps safe?

Mostly dodgy 3rd parties, but there have been naughty malware apps that managed to bypass Google's 'stringent' ( ) quality control.
I wouldn't install ANYTHING that doesn't have loads of up-to-date feedback/comments. If the only comment/review is 5 stars, avoid. It's the dev's mother.

I'd go into the security pitfalls of Android per se, but then I'd be fired, quartered and troll-shocked. If you don't need an app, don't get it.